Meat (an example of "correlation does not equal causation")

Meat, particularly red meat has gotten quite the bad rap for a long time.

Many epidemiological studies (those that study factors and disease distribution in populations) have revealed correlations between red meat consumption and various chronic diseases, most notably cardiovascular disease.

Red meat consumption and risk of heart failure in male physicians.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20675107

Red and processed meat consumption and risk of incident coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20479151

Associations of processed meat and unprocessed red meat intake with incident diabetes: the Strong Heart Family Study.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22277554

However, there is a huge caveat here in that these studies were PURELY OBSERVATIONAL. Factor A went up at the same time Factor B went up. We CANNOT conclude that Factor A caused Factor B to increase, or vice versa. There very well could be a Factor C which causes both to increase, or some other complex interactions of factor.

The point is, observational studies are good for coming up with ideas about where to direct research, but are NOT for drawing conclusions from. Observational studies reveal trends, which must be followed up with experimental studies in order to draw any substantive conclusions.

Now, what kind of results DO experimental studies show?

Incorporation of lean red meat into a National Cholesterol Education Program Step I diet: a long-term, randomized clinical trial in free-living persons with hypercholesterolemia.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10872897

Increased Fat-Free Body Mass and No Adverse Effects on Blood Lipid Concentrations 4 Weeks after Additional Meat Consumption in Comparison with an Exclusion of Meat in the Diet of Young Healthy Women
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jnume/2011/210930/

Now, there are still a few studies out there, experimental studies, that show some increases in risk factors for certain diseases. But then again, we must ask, what are "risk factors"? More correlations!

In some circumstances, we are sure enough about the mechanisms of diseases to actually get something from correlations, however many times, this is not the case.

I don't have time to go into the nuances of this subject, so I will leave you with someone who has gone over this topic quite well.

The Meaty Gritty on the Red Meat Debate: A Comprehensive Rebuttal of the Constant Assault On My Beloved Steaks
http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2012/04/meaty-gritty-on-red-meat-debate.html

Zonulin and its regulation of intestinal barrier function: the biological door to inflammation, autoimmunity, and cancer.

Intestinal permeability is becoming more and more accepted to be an important causal mechanism in many inflammatory conditions such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, and inflammatory conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Scientists are realizing the prevalence of leaky gut (increased intestinal permeability) is also much higher than previously thought.

http://physrev.physiology.org/content/91/1/151.full

"Belief" by Jon Gilson of AgainFaster

"Belief" by Jon Gilson of AgainFaster.com


As a child, you can do anything. The future is an unwritten story, unencumbered by the fetters of harsh reality. Belief is easy to come by, as simple as hearing or seeing. Potential is infinite, and always given its due.


As we get older, living is no longer an exercise in blind faith. Doubt creeps in, and skepticism finds its way into our minds. The world gives us our knocks, and with each blow, the bounds of reality narrow. The vernacular of the impossible impregnates our speech and infects our actions, until we stay with the safe, the pleasant, and the known, afraid to push back against the unfamiliar and the difficult.


This unfortunate evolution leaves us unsure of our abilities, scared to display incompetence and unwilling to attempt the unknown. Terrified of another hard knock, we display only those traits with known rewards and certain payoffs. We become small and weak as the chains of doubt weave themselves into our lives.


We cannot conquer frustration by quitting, nor defeat the unknown with doubt.


Every time you grab a barbell or strap on a weight vest, you have the opportunity to reverse this disastrous course. Instead of succumbing to the gravity of your misgivings, you can take heart in your potential. You can push back against the pain, secure in the knowledge that every failure can be remedied, every misstep righted. With a piece of cold rolled steel, you can crush the virus of inadequacy beneath your heel.




We don’t trade in exercise. We trade in the idea that your potential is exactly what you believe it to be. Squats, pull-ups and levers are merely tools, a chance to show the world that it is wrong, its lessons flawed. We cannot conquer frustration by quitting, nor defeat the unknown with doubt. Meekness can never be rewarded, and with every clash, we scream this message.




I’ve seen athletes perform the impossible, heaving against every fiber of their being, a living war cry in the face of adversity. They overcome through sheer exertion of will, shattering the fallacy of the immovable object by becoming the unstoppable force. These athletes come from a thousand different places, unique only in their refusal to accept the world’s false constraints. They choose to believe in their own capacity for greatness, and they are rewarded.


Belief is a place where the irrational exuberance of childhood finds new life, where the burden of the past is shed in favor of the promise of the future. Belief is a chance to give all the hard knocks back, to free ourselves to become anything. Stop wondering if you can, and know that achievement is as simple as trying, over and over again.


Written by Jon Gilson - againfaster.com